Reports claim that Apple told its AppleCare support teams to expect an increase in iOS queries from October 10th, suggesting that the company will release iOS 5 that date.

According to Apple news site AppleInsider, the call center staff of Apple have been warned that calls could be eight times what they usually have. The site cites a “person familiar with the matter,” but it noted that the information is unverified.

iOS 5 is the latest version of Apple Inc.’s mobile operating system that will be used on its mobile devices, including the iPod Touch and iPhone. It is one of the biggest updates on the operating system yet, as it will bring wireless backup and syncing, and changes the way notifications work. It will also include the iMessage, a free instant messaging between Apple devices.

If this rumor is true and Apple does release the iOS update on October 10th, it would suggest that the highly-anticipated iPhone 5 would follow after, with the new version of the operating system installed in the device.

AppleInsider has also reported that Apple is expected to launch the golden master build of the iOS to its assemblers on September 23rd, giving them time to install the software on the iPhone 5 hardware. The golden master build is similar to the code that becomes the iOS’ final public release.

The next iPhone still remains a rumor until it is officially unveiled, but the beta versions of the iOS 5 has been tested by developers for months now. The company said that the new version of the software will be available to users this autumn.